Help with sucky vocals

  • Thread starter Thread starter thebigcheese
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thebigcheese

thebigcheese

"Hi, I'm in Delaware."
This isn't really a mic question, but there isn't a vocals section here, so this seemed like the more appropriate place.

I think that I am a good singer. I can get my voice to do what I want it to do most of the time. I don't have trouble singing on pitch. However, I do not have a good voice. I know that everyone says they don't like hearing themselves recorded, but seriously, my voice sucks. I don't think it's necessarily that I'm singing to nasaly or anything, either, b/c, although I've had only limited training (I took a class in college), I think I can make my voice sound different at the same pitch by making it more nasaly or throaty or what have you (but of course, I could be wrong). I just can't make it sound good. It really sucks for me when I listen to really good singers and think, "Well, I just physically can't be that good." Am I really just stuck with a crappy voice, or is there something I can do about it?

I don't have any samples right now, but I can probably get one up if you really want.
 
You may want to try the lo-fi route. Try getting a crappy mic and plugging it into a guitar amp and overload it or maybe use and unruly FET broadcast compressor or just simple over the top reverb. Also, stick with a dynamic mic, while not as honest, they tend to flatter a bit. Just some suggestions without hearing it.
 
im with you

i have the exact same situation. ive always thought it was just a confidence issue, and it really probably is, but it seems that when i listen back to my voice, its in tune, volume is ok, but the physical sound of my voice make me sick. maybe everyones like that? probably not. yes! please upload a sample and i will do the same. if anything maybe we can offer advice for each other or get some! some of my favorite singers seem like they "just go for it" and thats what keeps me going, but its not an easy road.

has anyone ever told you your voice sucks? just curious.
 
Just as a bit of encouragement, there are a whole BUNCH of singers out there, especially doing indie stuff, with very idiosyncratic voices. You'll be best off if you just try to sound like you and not like anyone else. You'll get better performances that way and you won't come off sounding like you're trying to sound like someone else.

Frank
 
They don't say my voice sucks, but when I present the version I record vs. the version my band's vocalist records, everyone agrees his is superior (although he has some pitch problems, but he's gotten better). Or even when I've just sent them samples, they've agreed that it's not that great. I know that a lot of singers these days have unique voices, but they're still good in their own way. I don't know that mine has that kind of uniqueness as much as just badness. I mean, I see what you're saying (Frank), but I think there's a line where I shouldn't keep sounding like me if it's just plain bad.

I'll try to get a sample up sometime soon, but I got recruited to PA for the inauguration concert, so I'm going to be pretty busy until the 20th.
 
thebigcheese said:
They don't say my voice sucks, but when I present the version I record vs. the version my band's vocalist records, everyone agrees his is superior (although he has some pitch problems, but he's gotten better). Or even when I've just sent them samples, they've agreed that it's not that great. I know that a lot of singers these days have unique voices, but they're still good in their own way. I don't know that mine has that kind of uniqueness as much as just badness. I mean, I see what you're saying (Frank), but I think there's a line where I shouldn't keep sounding like me if it's just plain bad.

I'll try to get a sample up sometime soon, but I got recruited to PA for the inauguration concert, so I'm going to be pretty busy until the 20th.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm...I see. Well, then in the words of Randy from American Idol, maybe singing just isn't your thing, dog.

Frank
 
I thought I'd resurrect my thread instead of starting a new one, but I got a new mic today and so naturally I had to try it out. Personally, I think I sound really awful in all of these examples, but just in case someone else disagrees, here it is. Feel free to be harsh.
http://www.nickglover.com/BadVocals.wav
There are 4 sections in there, all are me singing along to some other song in my headphones. The first is Caffeine (Faith No More), so go easy on the volume; the second is The Rock Show (blink-182); the third is F--- Her Gently (Tenacious D); and the last is The Unforgiven (Metallica). I think that's the order, anyway. I wasn't sure if I'm allowed to write curse words up here, so I thought I'd protect the youngins :)
 
Well, I took an interest in this thread because I used to think the same thing sometimes about my own voice. With more experience under my belt, I don't think that anymore.

I'm familiar with my voice now to the point where I can damn well tell if I'm singing something I'm not meant to sing! That's when I hit the <delete> button! :D

Anyway, I heard your examples.... and I think it's a matter of you finding the style that fits your voice. Doing those three songs IS NOT your style, based on my ears. The best of them was probably the Metallica song, and I know with some EQ, reverb, delay, and compression, I could make it sound decent. What other styles are you into? You have a voice that seems to be in the higher registers, to some extent. It's not low and growly like Hetfield.

Have you taken any professional lessons? Your voice has some potential... maybe it's just a matter of finding a style, or perhaps the material... that suits it.
 
I took a class once, but no professional lessons. I considered it, though, but right now I'm paying for some music theory/guitar lessons, so I want to get those out of the way first. My voice teacher seemed to think I was more at home in the lower notes. I know that I struggle a bit in the higher notes unless I go into falsetto, in which case I can get up reasonably high (although that might not sound all that great, either). I might do some recordings on those ends of the spectrum during the upcoming week, maybe a Coheed song (falsetto) and something lower that I can't think of right now...
 
I've just listened to your mp3 and I'm going to be brutally honest. I don't mean to offend, but I'll just tell it as I see it.

You are singing four songs that you cannot sing. The songs make your voice sound bad. Mike Patton, Jack Black and James Hetfield are amazing vocalists and they are some of the most distinctive vocalists around. You're trying to copy those styles and it doesn't work. Blink 182 are pretty lame singers, but pull it off with the attitude with which they deliver it. The intonation on FHG is poor and the affected styles you use to emulate the singers sound false.

BUT, I don't find your voice unpleasant and I used to be exactly the same as you (still am some days). The more I write and record my own stuff, the more I realise I CAN sing. I cannot change my vocal stlye to sound like someone else (imagine Metallica covering a Faith No More song, they'd sound exactly like Metallica).

I'm mainly a guitarist, but do enjoy singing as long as it's something I can actually sing. I'll sing a song in the car and think I can sing it perfectly, record all the instruments at home and go for the vocals and guess what? I sound LAME! Because I cannot sing that song, that's all.

So now if I want to do a cover, I'll drag the mp3 into the DAW and record a rough vocal first. If I struggle from the start, then it's not meant to be.

Find YOUR style, what comes naturally when you open your mouth and sing, not what you can do by changing your voice. Sure, you may never be as good as the best, but listen to very early Queen. That boy REALLY did grow into his voice.
 
Cheesed off !

It sounds to me like you are singing from your throat, some singing lessons will sort that out. The first track, the home one sounded like the Manic Street Preachers so not all bad then. Every one has a voice and the hardest thing is to find it I am going to presume you are recording with
dynamic microphones such as an sm58 for example as you didn't mention your set up. Try a larger diaphragm mic, try changing the key, no one is going to sound like they recorded at Abbey Road from a home studio unfortunately
so you have to work with what you have and eventually you and in fact we will all get there.If you know your not happy with it then do it again and again until you are. I seem to recall The Beatles doing 160 takes of some songs until they got what they were looking for. Its a long road and there's no turning back.
 
I dont want to be a cheddar no more, its gorgonzola for me..

Lots of free singing tutorials on youtube. If you have 2 people in a band that can sing then you should utilize that and both sing together swap harmonies, take turns singing lines, verses etc...
 
I just checked out your website and think that most of your trouble is in the mind. Ok, I didn't like the badvocal mp3 but your own stuff is pretty good. You've got a decent range and sound to your voice, if I'm going to be picky I'll tell you to work on your intonation.

But don't take offence, the best singers have to work on these things constantly. Make sure you practice all the usual diaphragm stuff until it becomes natural to you. I also have my own little trick which is to visualise the notes and melody. I picture it as shelves or stairs (not actual stairs though!) so you hit each change smoothly and accurately. Sorry if this makes no sense, but it helps me.
 
dialatron said:
I am going to presume you are recording with
dynamic microphones such as an sm58 for example as you didn't mention your set up.
Click to expand...

It is a large diaphragm, actually. I'm using a v67g I just got running into my Motu Traveler preamp.

captaincheesefa said:
I just checked out your website and think that most of your trouble is in the mind. Ok, I didn't like the badvocal mp3 but your own stuff is pretty good. You've got a decent range and sound to your voice, if I'm going to be picky I'll tell you to work on your intonation.

But don't take offence, the best singers have to work on these things constantly. Make sure you practice all the usual diaphragm stuff until it becomes natural to you. I also have my own little trick which is to visualise the notes and melody. I picture it as shelves or stairs (not actual stairs though!) so you hit each change smoothly and accurately. Sorry if this makes no sense, but it helps me.
Click to expand...

Well, before you get too excited about those other clips, you should know that those are all my bandmate singing, which is why I didn't just link to them before. I do the harmony parts on "Shells," but that's it. The badvocals mp3 is the only one with me singing. So... I guess you just don't like my singing at all then :p
 
I don't like hearing you sing songs that you can't sing!!:D

Say that fast, over and over!! As I said, I don't think your voice is bad. But it doesn't work on those songs.
 


That is a song that I wrote with me singing. You can ignore a lot of the singing, as the chorus is the only part I've actually written so far, but hopefully this will give you a sample of a range I ought to be able to do.
 
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